MARLBOROUGH is famous for its seat of learning, the red-brick public school at the west end of the High Street.

Few people realise, however, that the roots of St John's School and Community College, the town's state school, go much deeper than those of Marlborough College.

In terms of history, however famous it may be today, Marlborough College is a stripling compared with St John's.

St John's is the successor to and amalgamation of the former Marlborough Grammar and Secondary Modern schools.

The grammar school can be traced back to 1550 when the town's Grammatical School was set up.

However Marlborough College is the more famous, being one of the country's top public schools and attracting the sons and daughters of the rich and famous.

Royalty, both British and foreign, have their children education at Marlborough College.

Some of the famous parents whose children have attended the school include the singer Sting; Archbishop's envoy Terry Waite who was held hostage in Beirut for five years and the Duke and Duchess of York.

The college was established in the former Castle Inn in 1843 as a school for the sons of clergymen.

A proposal in 1853 to amalgamate the college and grammar school was rejected by the town.

The college remained a boys only school until 1968 when the Master, John Dancy, introduced girls to the sixth form and gradually the school became fully co-educational.

Marlborough College is still regarded today as being among the top handful of public schools in the world.